During the Inca Empire, the term yunga referred to both the western and eastern slopes of the Andes and their inhabitants.

In the Spanish colonial era, it became primarily associated with the western foothills near the desert coast and the local Indians.

The terrain, formed by valleys, fluvial mountain trails and streams, is extremely rugged and varied, contributing to the ecological diversity and richness.

Forest loss in the Peruvian Yungas has sharply accelerated since the 2000s, rising seven-fold between 2005 and late 2012, according to satellite analysis by Terra-i.

A mist-fed ecosystem called Lomas is found at scattered locations among hills near the Pacific Ocean at elevations up to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft).

The flora in the central Sea Yungas region is mainly composed by the lucuma and cherimoya trees, the casuarin, and others.

As this area approaches the tropics, fauna differs from the rest of the coast, so that animals like the boas, larger reptiles and the famous white-winged guan (a bird species unique to this Peruvian ecoregion) occur here.

The coca leaf is established in this region as well as the uña de gato ("cat's claw", Uncaria tomentosa).

[5][6] Andean Continental Divide Mountain Top: In the early 20th century, the region was a major source for rubber and quinine.

[citation needed] The Yungas also contains one of the most deadly roads in the world, called the "camino de la muerte," or Highway of Death.

Due to the mountainous terrain an entrepreneurial coca harvester created a network of zip lines that permit rapid travel from peak to peak by farmers, referred to locally as flying men or bird men, along with their harvests using "zip line trollies.